1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved motorcycle foot peg and is particularly effective for use on off-road dirt racing motorcycles such as Motocross and Supercross motorcycles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional motorcycles are typically equipped with foot pegs to support a rider""s feet while the motorcycle is traveling. A conventional foot peg is formed as a steel rod or a flat steel platform that projects laterally outwardly from the motorcycle frame. Separate foot pegs are mounted upon each side of the motorcycle and are normally connected to the motorcycle frame by hinge connections. The foot pegs may thereby be folded up against the frame at a forty-five degree angle if contact is made with a solid object or if the motorcycle is laid down or falls to the ground on its side. The foot pegs are normally deployed in cantilevered positions projecting straight out from the motorcycle frame while the motorcycle is traveling. The rider then rests his or her feet upon the foot pegs. The foot pegs thereby serve as foot supports for the rider""s feet while traveling.
While existing motorcycle foot pegs do provide support for a rider""s feet while the motorcycle travels, conventional foot pegs can and do cause injuries. These injuries frequently result when the rider makes a hard landing. The shocks and impacts of such landings often cause severe bruises to a rider""s feet. Also, fractures to the bones of a rider""s foot and ankle sometimes result from hard landings due to the great forces transmitted to the rider""s feet through conventional motorcycle foot pegs. Such injuries are particularly prevalent among riders who operate off-road dirt racing motorcycles.
The present invention provides an improved motorcycle foot peg which reduces the occurrence of injuries, particularly foot and ankle injuries that occur when landing hard off of jumps on a motorcycle. Also, the improved motorcycle foot peg of the invention reduces rider fatigue.
The construction of a motorcycle foot peg of the present invention differs from the construction of conventional motorcycle foot pegs in that a resilient, elastic cushion is interposed between the riders foot and the rigid structure that provides underlying foot support. The motorcycle impact and shock absorbing foot peg of the invention is designed primarily for use on off-road dirt motorcycles. By using thermoplastic elastomer cushions between the floating, upper foot contact plates and the lower rigid platform supports projecting out from the frame of the motorcycle, shocks and impacts transmitted from the wheels of the motorcycle to the feet and ankles of the rider are greatly attenuated. The elastomeric cushion allows the upper foot contact plate to move both downwardly and laterally relative to the rigid platform support.
The improved motorcycle foot peg of the invention also provides for better body positioning by the rider when the rider stands up on the foot pegs. The upper portion of the improved foot peg will move slightly left or right and forward or backward to provide better balance and more effective control of the motorcycle. However, the resilient cushion is not so soft as to cause a loss of balance.
In one broad aspect the present invention is an impact absorbent foot peg for a motorcycle comprising: a rigid lower platform secured so as to project in a cantilevered fashion laterally outwardly from a motorcycle frame, and a resiliently compressible foot pad disposed atop the platform. Preferably the platform includes a mounting plate with inboard and outboard sides, a hinged connector on the inboard side of the mounting plate, and a rigid foot support projecting from the outboard side of the mounting plate. The compressible foot pad preferably includes a cushioning slab formed of an elastomeric material disposed atop the rigid foot support, and a rigid foot contact plate disposed atop the slab.
In another broad aspect the invention may be considered to be a combination of a motorcycle having a frame and an impact and shock absorbing motorcycle foot peg comprising a rigid, lower platform having an inboard end attached to the motorcycle frame and a cantilevered outboard end, and a resiliently compressible foot pad secured atop the cantilevered outboard end of the rigid lower platform.
In still another aspect the invention may be considered to be an impact and shock absorbing motorcycle foot peg comprising: a rigid platform having a flat mounting plate with inner and outer surfaces and with a hinge connection projecting from the inner surface and a rigid foot support rigidly joined to the mounting plate and projecting from its outer surface. The rigid foot support has a flat, upper bearing surface oriented perpendicular to the outer surface of the mounting plate. The invention further includes a foot pad having a cushioning slab of resiliently compressible material located atop the flat upper bearing surface of the foot support and a foot contact plate located atop the slab. Preferably, the cushioning pad is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer having a Shore A hardness of between about 30 and about 60.
The invention may be described with greater clarity and particularity by reference to the accompanying drawings.